1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a forklift which takes an article therein, transports the article to a predetermined position, and carries the article in the predetermined position.
2. Description of the Related Art
A forklift of this kind is configured so as to have a mast disposed on a travelling carriage in a horizontally reciprocally movable manner, and a fork liftably disposed on the mast. In the forklift, the mast is moved toward an end of the travelling carriage to cause the forks to be projected from the travelling carriage (this motion of the mast is called “reach-out”), whereby the forks are inserted below an article which is to be accommodated. Thereafter, the forks are lifted by the mast to raise the article, and the mast is then moved inside the travelling carriage (this motion of the mast is called “reach-in”), whereby the article is accommodated on the travelling carriage. After the travelling carriage travels to a predetermined position, the mast performs a reach-out process to push out the forks together with the article to the outside of the travelling carriage. The forks are then lowered to place the article in the predetermined position.
In such a forklift according to the related art, a surface of the article in the accommodated condition is exposed, and hence there arises a problem in that the article is inevitable to contact with a foreign material. In a forklift used outdoors, particularly, an article is wet in case of rain or the like.
The invention has been conducted in view of the problem of the conventional art. It is an object of the invention to provide a forklift which can transport an accommodated article while preventing the article from contacting a foreign material.